RACEBOARD – CHAMPION

The Raceboard Class has a 2009 champion – yet the class itself is the overall winner. The National Raceboard fleet doubled in 2009.  62 competitors competed on the UKWA’s National cup circuit.  

The remarkable growth in numbers competing has led to a significant rise in standard right across the fleet.  Rob Kent has dominated racing for many years, but this year, going into the penultimate race three sailors were on equal points:  Rob, Mark Kay and Dave Hackford.  In the women’s fleet Annette Kent and Marie Buchanan were heading the leaderboard. 

The finals of the 2009 championship were held at the Weymouth and Portland Sailing academy on 31^st Oct/1^st Nov.  Here the fleet saw more young sailors competing.  Sam Latham, Sam Jenkins, Alex Trickle and Jack Warren all relative new comers to the Under 20 fleet.

The perky low pressure system winding up over Ireland was going to provide mixed conditions – but even the race officer Jai Williams never quite expected the result.  Portland Harbour was bathed in sunshine on Saturday with light winds blowing over Chesil beach.  Rob Kent discovered that his rival for the national title Mark Kay had flu and would not race, so barring maybe a whack on the head from a rig (which knocked Dave Hackford out of the running at Rutland– literally!) the series was pretty much sewn up.  He just needed to stay cool and go for the national Masters crown as well.  Maybe it is at times when a sailor is a little more relaxed – they best perform.  This was the case.  Lightwinds tend to create shifty conditions – enabling the heavier tacticians to compete – but Rob Kent was not letting anything slip – his finishing positions were 1^st.1^st.1^st.1^st..  Rob had hit form and pretty much annihilated the fleet.

Racing on Sunday was abandoned as gust reached 45 knots.

UKWA National CUP results  Raceboard 9.5m:

After 40 races over 6 events:

 For more information on the growing raceboard Class please check out:

www.ukwindsurfing.com/

www.raceboard.org.uk